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Thursday, December 26, 2013

Being offered a chance to read and review this title, I began with the mindset that I would be learning more about the decline of Christianity during today's modern digital age, and I expected an explanation about what was happening and solutions to the problem. What I found while reading Pastor Mark Driscoll's title was more like a war manual of sorts that explained the decline, guided the reader towards different paths in which an individual could take, as well as begin to attack the issue itself, which is something that is essential to a text that wants to solve a problem. "A Call to Resurgence" does a marvelous thing: it explains, exhibits and enhances the topic of the Resurgence, a topic that is prominent with those who are seeking religious salvation. However, as many statistics throughout the book state, there aren't that many individuals who are on the side of the Resurgence.

Driscoll provides many statistics throughout his book to help enhance his argument, which sets the stage like any other solution book on the market. The book begins with the basic statistic that only 8% of Americans are classified as Evangelical Christians, which is less than the amount of left-handed people, Texans or even pet cats that are in America. This 8% haunts you as a reader, and you become part of the mission to raise that number as you continue reading. But what was the main issue in the first place? How did Christendom die? The rise of various political platforms on the national stage as well as the promotion of civil religion and borrowed faith instead of the "raw devotion" to the gospel of Jesus Christ, whom Driscoll reiterates as "humanity's one and only hope". As a pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Driscoll continues evaluation the causes of death of Christendom, beginning with the idea of uniting various "tribes", which I interpreted through his elaborate explanation as the different denominations of Christianity. How does one do this? Identify the elements of your "tribe" (meaning understand your beliefs), then unite with others to begin promoting the message. Driscoll even tailors his argument to satisfy today's digital age by suggesting education, books, as well as the Internet. Considering that 61% of Americans say that they wish they read the Bible more than they do currently, the union of tribes could result in an initiative.

As someone who is not devotional in religious practices, this book was very informative in the different aspects of providing information on the subject, Driscoll is credible, well-spoken with his stories, statistics, and elaboration on the topics that could be otherwise considered dull and boring. He shows a drive to share this topic. However, with readers who are seeking a "how-to" manual, this is not a simple one. There is a lot of religious terminology that if you are unfamiliar with, you could become entirely lost, but nothing that a simple "Google" search wouldn't fix.

I received this book from NetGalley via the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest opinion in this review.

Monday, December 23, 2013

The first in a less popular series, yet is praised as being well written for the Young Adult dystopian romance literature genre.

Cassia is a young woman who is about to be Matched-a procedure in which the Society chooses your match that you will spend the rest of your life with. She's ecstatic that it's Xander, her best friend, but what happens when theres a glitch and shows someone else's face for a brief moment? Not only does Cassia begin to question how she is supposed to feel, but everything else that the Society has created...

For fans of futuristic literature, dystopian literature, or an overall love triangle story that is well presented through elegant prose and dialogue. You will not want to put this one down as the story unfolds.